What to do when a political argument breaks out at work

We all experience conflict in the workplace at some point. 

It can come in many forms, but perhaps the most divisive is political conflict. Politics is an emotive topic for many people. In fact, a recent CMI Manager’s Voice Pulse Point poll found that 44% of managers had witnessed disagreements over political views. Of those, one in four said it had caused stress among colleagues. 

One in five managers said disagreements based on political views had resulted in a breakdown of team collaboration and 13% said it had a negative impact on overall productivity and work performance.

• Calling out unacceptable behaviour: “It’s all about communication”

The poll found women were more likely than men to report that political disagreements had resulted in increased stress among colleagues, and managers from ethnic minority backgrounds were significantly more likely to say these disagreements had a negative impact on overall work performance.

Managers working in the public or third sector were significantly more likely to witness political disagreements, the poll found.